Man sentenced after pleading guilty to rst-degree murder
Leonardo Melendez was killed in May 2022
Gregorio Escalante Cota, 23, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after accepting a plea deal in relation to the killing of Leonardo Melendez in May 2022.
Along with Joshua Escalante Cota and Johnny Albert Valenzuela – 34 and 27, respectively – Gregorio was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in July 2022.
According to court documents reviewed by the Yuma Sun, Gregorio Escalante Cota plead guilty to first-degree murder in June 2024. He was “sentenced to 18 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections” and received credit for 742 days served.
“While in Yuma County on May 30, 2022, the defendant contacted the victim through Facebook Messaging to purchase drugs from the victim. The victim responded to his message. Approximately 2 hours later the defendant went to the victim’s home with another
person where the victim was shot and killed,” the factual basis of the case reads.
While in custody, Gregorio also faced charges alleging that he “lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a fence at Cibola High School” in June 2022 while “under the extreme influence of intoxicating liquor.” This case was “dismissed with prejudice” as part of his plea deal.
Furthermore, he also pled guilty to attempted aggravated assault in a separate case stemming from Sept. 1, 2021. He received a five-year sentence that will run concurrently with his first-degree murder sentence.
As for Joshua Escalante Cota and Johnny Albert Valenzuela, neither party has presently accepted a plea deal. The former’s pretrial conference has been set for Feb. 28, 2025, while the latter’s has yet to be determined.